'Peanuts' movie coming in 2015

October 09, 2012|Matt Pais, @mattpais | RedEye movie critic

Good grief?

Coinciding with the comic strip's 65th anniversary, Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" gang--that's Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and the rest, if your memory needs a reboot--will hit the big screens Nov. 25, 2015, a press release announced this morning. My first thought, of course, is concern that "Peanuts" will be adapted with the same pop culture references and obnoxious sense of humor as the recent movies based on "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "The Smurfs." Fortunately the script for the as-yet-untitled movie has been written by Schulz's son Craig. Less encouraging: the direction of Steve Martino, who helmed the just-OK "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" and mediocre "Ice Age: Continental Drift."

As long as the movie doesn't feature CGI critters interacting with a clearly embarrassed actor, "Peanuts" will already have a leg up on its recent animated competition. If plans change and it does follow the "Smurfs" strategy, it will be like offering a football in front of us to kick and pulling it away at the last minute. And who would do such a thing?

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